This invention relates to the field of aquatic exercise, therapy, fitness and recreational devices.
Current devices related to this include spas used for recreation and massage; deep tank treadmill devices having a treadmill at the bottom of a deep tank of water, currently costing well over $100,000.00; large, shallower swim jet tanks allowing a swimmer to swim in place against the flow of fast moving water provided by swim jets placed at the front of the tank, also used primarily in commercial settings, and expensive as well. Except for the typical, small, home massage and swim spas, these individual devices are large, expensive and consequently utilized only in commercial applications.
Spas are popular in part because of their ability to be made inexpensively, and thus sold inexpensively. This is due primarily to the fact that they can be made in a single seamless unit using low cost manufacturing methods such as vacuum-forming thermo plastic. This method works because of the shallow nature of the spa (typically no more than 2-3 feet deep), that minimizes the need to consider excessive weight and water pressure problems. Other spa manufacturing processes include the forming of fiberglass or acrylic around a mold.
Conversely, a swim jet device has typically at least sixty (60) square feet of surface area (typically around 14 feet long by 4 to 5 feet wide) so that an adult swimmer can extend lengthwise with fully stretched arms during the swimming motion. Moreover, these tend to be deeper to allow the full downward extension of the arm during swimming. Consequently these devices are large and have required piece by piece construction of a large tank for that purpose. The extra depth of those devices provides additional significant water pressure at the lower depths as there can be 1500 to 2000 gallons of water in such a tank.
Aquatic treadmill chambers or pools require even additional depth so that an individual can stand at least chest high in the water while walking or running on the treadmill. At this level, it is often as much as 5 feet deep. Prior art treadmill devices include primarily chambers where an individual climbs in and water is brought in to that individual under a supervised setting, or larger pools where the treadmill is, in an expensive arrangement, raised to the top of the pool while the user walks on, then lowered down to the bottom. In either event, these devices can have typically several thousand gallons of water, and in a depth of 5 feet require special considerations for significantly greater weight and water pressure at the lower depths, and special considerations for easily allowing maintenance, adjustment of the treadmill, easy egress and ingress to the lower depths for patients in therapy that cannot walk up and down ladders, and require other individuals to assist either in supervising or raising or lowering of the treadmill platform; also extra safety considerations have to be taken into account as one runs in place on the treadmill at the bottom of the chamber. These enclosures are also usually constructed piece by piece rather than in a single seamless format.
To combine all three types of activities and devices discussed above into one seamless modular format results in a still larger pool that not only has large surface area for the swim in place swim jet arrangement, but also an extra deep pool to allow for one to stand up for the treadmill exercises, heretofore not done in any seamless device format that would allow for inexpensive construction that is structurally sound, easy to ship to the consumer, easy to install and use for consumer use, that is easy to maintain and adjust, and is likewise safe with minimized supervision required in the consumer setting.
It is therefore the object of this invention to provide just such a combination, multiuse device: an all in one, inexpensive, easy to use and maintain, primarily consumer device that is highly functional. This is accomplished by utilizing what is currently known to be the deepest vacuum thermo plastic created seamless spa tank. It utilizes unique design features to not only strengthen the structural integrity at the bottom depth of the pool, but also to provide an integrated treadmill receiving pan or cavity that secures the treadmill. It also allows the treadmill top to be flush with an integrated safety step off area around the treadmill, such that the snug fit in the pan leaves a minimal distance between the treadmill and the side of the container, at flush level, covered with a safety cover, all creating an attractive and safe, common, flush and level treadmill/floor bottom. An access chamber for access to the treadmill shaft is also provided. The tank has steps integrated into the tank structure, with rise and runs designed for the intended use. The tank has structural stiffening ribs encircling the tank in equivalently spaced relationship between the top and bottom of the container. This allows the tanks to combine for easy shipment of multiple units for mass production. Consequently the tank can be manufactured and shipped inexpensively, and installed easily, in relatively large numbers.
Other objects and features of the invention and the manner in which the invention achieves its purpose will be appreciated from the foregoing and the following description and the accompanying drawings which exemplify the invention, it being understood that changes may be made in the specific method and apparatus disclosed herein without departing from the essentials of the invention set forth in the appended claims.